Professional Documents
Culture Documents
WEEKEND GETAWAYS
We are all travelers in the wilderness of this world ... ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON
E SC A PE E X PLOR E E X PE R I E NCE
Where to EAT,
MYSTERIOUS
LITTLE BIRDS
BY CHARLES
BOWDEN
Cathedral Rock,
Sedona
CONTENTS 01.15
2 EDITORS LETTER > 3 CONTRIBUTORS > 4 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR > 56 WHERE IS THIS?
5 THE JOURNAL
People, places and things from around the state, including a look
back at iconic photographer Chuck Abbott, ocotillos, snowy egrets
and a snapshot of Grand Canyon National Park.
16 WEEKEND GETAWAYS
Flagstaff, Sedona, Bisbee ... theres a lot to do in those three places,
and trying to t it all into one weekend can be tough. To make
things a little easier, we put together itineraries of where to eat,
sleep, hike and splurge. We also threw in some history, something
for the kids and more.
BY NOAH AUSTIN, ROBERT STIEVE & KELLY VAUGHN KRAMER
42 SCOUTING TRIP
For almost 50 years, a troop of Boy Scouts from suburban Chicago has been making regular trips to Arizona to hike the Grand
Canyon. In July, they were back, but instead of just hiking rimto-rim-to-rim, Troop 65 also delivered a check for $4,500.
BY ANNETTE M CGIVNEY
PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOHN BURCHAM
PHOTOGRAPHIC
AVAILABLE Prints of some photographs in this issue are available for purchase. To view options, visit www.arizona
2 J A N U A R Y 2PRINTS
013
Page
Grand Canyon
National Park
Flagstaff
Sedona
Prescott
Salome Wilderness
PHOENIX
Oracle
Tucson
Saguaro National
Park
Bisbee
POINTS OF INTEREST IN THIS ISSUE
50 DELTA FORCE
For millions of years, water from the Colorado River owed
all the way to the Gulf of California. But not anymore. The
last 90 miles are dry, and thats where Francisco ZamoraArroyo is pouring his energy. As director of the Colorado
River Delta Legacy Program, hes ghting hard to bring the
river back.
BY NOAH AUSTIN
PHOTOGRAPH BY BILL HATCHER
www.facebook.com/azhighways
Join our Facebook community to share your
photographs, chat with other fans, enter trivia
contests and receive up-to-the-minute information about whats going on behind the scenes at
Arizona Highways.
52 SCENIC DRIVE
Saguaro National Park East: Craggy peaks, sweeping vistas,
spectacular sunsets and saguaros are just some of what
youll see on this scenic drive, which loops through 8 miles of
rugged desert at an elevation of 3,000 feet.
w w w.arizonahighways.com
editors letter
I N
M E M O R I A M
CHARLES BOWDEN
1 9 4 5 2 0 1 4
JANUARY 2015
contributors
800-543-5432
www.arizonahighways.com
PUBLISHER Win Holden
EDITOR Robert Stieve
MANAGING EDITOR Kelly Vaughn Kramer
ASSOCIATE EDITOR Noah Austin
EDITORIAL ADMINISTRATOR Nikki Kimbel
PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Jeff Kida
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Barbara Glynn Denney
ART DIRECTOR Keith Whitney
DESIGN PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Diana Benzel-Rice
MAP DESIGNER Kevin Kibsey
PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Michael Bianchi
WEBMASTER Victoria J. Snow
RENEE ROUNDTREE
JANUARY 2015
GARY LADD
When Gary Ladd moved to Page from
Tucson in 1981, he didnt know about
Coyote Buttes, Horseshoe Bend or other
attractions near town. I had been into
Antelope Canyon a few times, he says,
but I had never run into other visitors. It
wasnt known to the world, either. Today,
Lake Powell visitation is exploding, in
large part because of the attractions that
were virtually unknown to the outside world when Ladd came to town. That inspired The
Great Beyond (see page 32), Ladds essay on all the other reasons to visit the Page area. Of
all those reasons, Ladd says Horseshoe Bend should be No. 1 on a visitors list: Its about a
20-minute hike on a very sandy trail to a sudden view that you cant prepare yourself for.
Try to be there at sunset. Its totally free no permits, no entry fees, no parking charges,
no hassle. Also, no railings at the overlook! Ladd is a longtime and frequent contributor to
Arizona Highways. Hes currently working on a Grand Canyon Association book about how
best to photograph the Canyon from its rims.
602-712-2019
SPONSORSHIP SALES
REPRESENTATION Kathleen Hennen
editor@arizonahighways.com
2039 W. Lewis Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85009
BRUCE D. TAUBERT
If I go too long without going outdoors and getting
dirty, life is not good, says photographer Bruce Taubert,
whose photos accompany Charles Bowdens essay on
hummingbirds (see Mysterious Little Birds, page 46).
Youve probably seen Tauberts photographs in just about
every issue of Arizona Highways in recent memory. His
specialty is nature photography, and he usually provides
the shots of plants and animals you see on page 13 of
our magazine. Taubert says he sees photography as a
mechanism to show our nations wildlife heritage to the
public. With hummingbirds, he says, the challenge comes not in photographing the bird but
in making the image beautiful: Backgrounds, ower placement, lighting and location are
critical to making a great hummingbird image. Tauberts images have been used in numerous
calendars, magazines, educational publications and advertisements for conservation groups.
G.E. M CKELVEY
ARIZONA TRANSPORTATION
BOARD CHAIRMAN Stephen W. Christy
William Cuthbertson
Deanna Beaver
Jack W. Sellers
EIRINI PAJAK
Eirini Pajak studied photography in college but didnt keep up with it after she graduated. A
decade later, a monk at St. Anthonys Monastery in Florence, where Pajak often attends services, suggested she start photographing wildowers. He added, specically, not to overlook
even the tiniest owers, she says. That suggestion has shaped her photographic style: As youll
see in our portfolio (Its in the Details, page 24), Pajak has become a pro at capturing the small
things, partly through her use of a technique called focus-stacking. Im trying to give more
attention to beautiful wildowers
that I think are often overlooked,
she says. Ive seen so many amazing
images of poppies and lupines, but
there is a whole world of neglected
and often quite tiny owers that
are no less beautiful. This months
feature is Pajaks rst in Arizona
Highways. Her photos have also
appeared in Arizona Wildlife Views, a
publication of the Arizona Game and
Fish Department. NOAH AUSTIN
ALAN SPARKMAN
w w w.arizonahighways.com
LONG-DISTANCE RELATIONSHIP
A long time ago, precisely in 1984, during a holiday in
Arizona, I came across Arizona Highways for the first time, and
after reading it, I fell in love with it. Its one of the best magazines I have ever been subscribed with. I live in Italy, and when
my monthly copy arrives I feel very happy to spend my evening,
after work, going through its pages and being informed about
Arizona and enjoying the outstanding pictures.
Giovanni Salvi, Bergamo, Italy
December 2014
JANUARY 2015
136,087
111,288
-9,728
2,373
123,389
182
--2,789
2,971
126,360
9,728
136,088
97.6%
1,641
125,030
128,001
97.7%
DRY HUMOR
I was terribly disappointed that in your
otherwise-fine article about Prep and Pastry
in Tucson [The Journal, October 2014], the
author chose to disparage the noble scone.
I think Prep and Pastry is a great place, and
I am particularly fond of the sweet-potato
hash. But scones are supposed to be a little
crispy on the outside, not too sweet and
with a relatively dry texture. Otherwise,
they are nothing but a flat muffin. Muffins
are fine in their place, and I can objectively
understand some people preferring them.
But, really, preferring Pop-Tarts? I am sure
there is a Christmas-fruitcake-defense
league, and I may have to start one for the
scone. Right down the street from Prep and
Pastry is Raging Sage, which almost always
has a line serving my favorite scones. I have
to admit that even my husband thinks that
the scones I like taste like cardboard I
prefer to think I have a more refined palate.
Marcia Jurgens, Green Valley, Arizona
MUSEUM QUALITY
My brother, who lives in LA, has given me
a subscription to your beautiful magazine.
I love its great articles and wonderful pictures. Here in the United Kingdom, we have
lovely local scenes, but nothing compares
with the expansive wonders of your beau-
WAY-BACK MACHINES
Years ago, long before computers and
printers, in the days of linotype and
veloxes, I owned an advertising agency in
California. From time to time I was called
upon to produce comprehensive layouts
for clients sales brochures or annual
reports. I was familiar with Arizona
Highways and its excellence in photography. Many a time I made the trek to the
used-magazine shop, on the other side of
town, to pore through back issues of your
publication for [inspiration]. Today, out of
the kindness of a dear friend in Prescott,
I once again enjoy the excellence of your
magazine through a gift subscription.
David Free, Kaneohe, Hawaii
contact us
SUZANNE MATHIA
Bear Hug
Black-bear cubs wrestle in the snow at
Bearizona, a drive-through wildlife park
in Williams. Black bears weigh less than
a pound at birth, but males can be more
than 500 pounds when fully grown.
Bearizona also features wolves, bison,
otters, raptors and other species.
For more information, call
928-635-2289
or visit www.
bearizona.com.
CAMERA: CANON
EOS-1D MARK III;
SHUTTER: 1/500 SEC;
APERTURE: F/4; ISO: 400;
FOCAL LENGTH: 200 MM
w w w.arizonahighways.com
THE JOURNAL
Y E A R D E S I G N AT E D :
AREA:
W I L D E R N E S S AC R E AG E :
A N N UA L V I S I TAT I O N :
AV E R AG E E L E VAT I O N :
JANUARY 2015
GRAND
CANYON
NATIONAL
PARK
Hopi House, 1914 | COURTESY OF GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK MUSEUM COLLECTION
your childrens children, and for all who come after you, as one of
ADAM SCHALLAU
Colorado River that cuts through it, hiking into its side canyons and
documenting what they found along the way. After them came
entrepreneurs such as the Verkamp family who opened a curio
shop on the South Rim in 1898 and the Kolb brothers, whose
photographic exploits in the Canyon are displayed at Kolb Studio,
a national historic landmark .
Today, Grand Canyon National Park plays host to more than
4.5 million visitors each year, proving that Mr. Roosevelt had a point.
KELLY VAUGHN KRAMER
928-638-7888; www.nps.gov/grca
w w w.arizonahighways.com
history
THE JOURNAL
this
month
in history
Grand Canyon
National Monument
is established on
January 11, 1908.
Q Wyatt Earp dies
in Los Angeles on
January 13, 1929,
at age 81.
Q The rst
damaging earthquake known to
have its epicenter in
Arizona occurs on
January 25, 1906.
Q
JANUARY 2015
Tucson
police
detectives
capture
John
Dillinger
(pictured)
on January 25, 1934.
The famed felon is
apprehended after
a re breaks out
at Hotel Congress,
where he and his
gang are hiding out.
Q
The rst
newspaper in
Phoenix, the
Salt River Herald,
begins publishing on January
26, 1878.
Q On January 31,
1890, the Empire
Ranch begins driving 1,000 head of
cattle to California to
escape high freight
rates of $7 per head.
Q
ARIZONA HIGHWAYS
50 Years Ago
photography
Jack Is Back
Photo Editor Jeff Kida and longtime
Arizona Highways contributor Jack
Dykinga discuss the photographers
recent lung transplant and how it
will impact his work.
JK: Four years ago, you were diagnosed
with idiopathic pulmonary brosis. Your
condition got critical last spring, and on
May 24, you had a double lung transplant
performed at St. Josephs Hospital and
Medical Center in Phoenix. Since then,
youve made a remarkable recovery. Do
you think this experience will affect your
shooting style?
JD: I dont think so, but I keep thinking of an
Ansel Adams quote. Im paraphrasing, but
Adams said its not so much about photographing a place; its about how you feel
when youre there. After my surgery, my
rst assignment was for Arizona Highways
at Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge
in Southern Arizona. I had mixed feelings:
I was elated and ecstatic to be out in the
eld again, but there was also a certain
myself, and I wasnt sure whether I could
photograph at the level I once had. I was
happy to nd that I was still able to do the
things I wanted.
JACK DYKINGA
The setting sun illuminates the grasslands of Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge in Southern Arizona.
JK: What went into this months photodepth-of-eld sharpness from front to
as I did here.
PHOTO
TIP
SNOW
PROBLEM
Believe it or not,
many of Arizonas
mountains have
snow on them this
time of year. Photo-
Experiment with
your camera settings to nd a combination that allows
you to see detail
in the shadows
without blowing out
the snow.
CLAIRE CURRAN
ADDITIONAL
READING
Look for our book
Arizona Highways
Photography
Guide, available
at bookstores
and www.shop
arizonahighways.
com/books.
w w w.arizonahighways.com
THE JOURNAL
iconic photographers
CHUCK ABBOTT
10
JANUARY 2015
CHUCK ABBOTT
w w w.arizonahighways.com
11
dining
THE JOURNAL
Like most great steakhouses, this one comes with a hearty menu
featuring prime rib, smoked meat, steak and chili. What sets it apart
is the rich history of the place, which dates back to the 30s.
12
JANUARY 2015
nature
Snowy
Egrets
Snowy
egrets have
a 3-foot
wingspan.
nature factoid
OCOTILLOS
Ocotillos can possess six to
100 spindly, spiky branches,
which are covered in a waxy
varnish to retain moisture.
These desert shrubs are
dormant until just after rain,
when leaves quickly regrow
and photosynthesize. Few
animals eat ocotillos, but in
Arizona, mule deer, whitetailed deer and bighorn
sheep occasionally snack
on them. Ocotillos can
grow 10 to 20 feet tall.
KAYLA FROST
w w w.arizonahighways.com
13
lodging
things to do
in
arizona
Balloon Festival
January 16-18,
Lake Havasu City
See dozens of colorful hot-air balloons
rise over Lake Havasu at this event,
which also includes antique and
classic cars, carnival rides, live
entertainment, kids activities and
more. Information: 928-486-7979 or
www.golakehavasu.com
THE JOURNAL
Dillinger Days
MARK LIPCZYNSKI
Casino Night
THE GRAND HOTEL ROSE from the ashes of the 1900 re that destroyed Whiskey Row
and much of Prescott. Built in 1903, its now seeing new life in the wake of a second re,
which destroyed three adjacent businesses in 2012 and left the second-story
prescott
wondered how to move forward. Slowly, the idea of a hotel took shape. The Hinsons peeled
Photo Workshop
back damaged lath and plaster, exposing brick. They removed ceilings and ductwork,
restoring 10-foot ceilings. Carpet and linoleum gave way to original alder oors. The hotel
reopened in 2013 as the boutique Grand Highland Hotel, each of its 12 guest rooms decorated to reect some aspect of Prescotts history. Since then, you might say the place has
taken off like a house on re.
KATHY MONTGOMERY
14
JANUARY 2015
In 1904, photography
pioneers Emery and
Ellsworth Kolb built their
studio and home on the edge
of the Grand Canyons South
Rim. The landmark became
as much a part of history as
their groundbreaking works
of art. We need your help to
keep the history alive.
Weekend Getaways
Flagstaff, Sedona, Bisbee ... theres a lot to do in those three places,
and trying to t it all into one weekend can be tough. To make things a little
easier, we put together itineraries of where to eat, sleep, hike and splurge.
We also threw in some history, something for the kids and more.
By Noah Austin, Robert Stieve & Kelly Vaughn Kramer
16
JANUARY 2015
w w w.arizonahighways.com
17
WEEKEND
GETAWAYS
Flagstaff
EAT
Brix
Our menu changes seasonally to ensure that we serve only
the freshest ingredients from
our local and regional network
of friends. Thats the philosophy at Brix, which is located in
the historic Carriage House in
downtown Flagstaff. Among
others, its network includes
Hayden Mills in Tempe, Ridgeview
Farms in Paulden and Black Mesa
Ranch in Snowake. Through
those sources, Brix is able to put
together a dinner menu that
features selections such as chileroasted duck breast, a variety of
artisan cheeses and a wine list
that rivals the best restaurants in
Scottsdale. || 413 N. San Francisco
Street, 928-213-1021, www.
brixagstaff.com
DRIVE
KIDS
HIKE
Lowell Observatory
Weatherford Trail
HISTORY
Riordan Mansion
Walnut Canyon
National Monument
ATTRACTION
18
JANUARY 2015
PHOTO OP
SPLURGE
Cherry Pie
at Miz Zips
For this listing, we singled out
cherry pie, but any of the pies at
Miz Zips lemon, blackberry,
coconut, blueberry, apple,
rhubarb, pumpkin qualify as
comfort food. The delicate, aky
crust is a big part of that, but so
is the ambience of the restaurant. Like all classic diners along
Historic Route 66, this one comes
with comfy booths and nostalgia
of all sorts on the walls. The best
part, though, is the green-marble,
horseshoe-shaped counter. Not
much has changed since Miz Zips
opened in 1952, and thats a good
thing. Especially if youre willing
to forget about calories for a few
minutes and splurge on some-
SLEEP
Weatherford Hotel
The Weatherford was a favorite
of Western novelist Zane Grey
so much so that in 1997, hotel proprietors opened a ballroom in his
honor. In one of his most famous
novels, Call of the Canyon, Grey
mentioned a hotel replace that
hadnt been used or even seen in
decades. Because of the book, it
was rediscovered behind partitions in the hotels restaurant. A
pet project of John Weatherford,
a developer who also oversaw the
construction of the towns New
Weatherford Opera House now
the Orpheum the hotel opened
in 1900. Today, its a favorite stop
BONUS
Buffalo Park
There are many great hikes in the
mountains around Flagstaff, but
they take time. For a quick dose
of fresh air, head to Buffalo Park,
which sits atop McMillan Mesa in
the shadow of the San Francisco
Peaks. The main attraction of
the park is an easy 2-mile loop
that circles a grassy meadow. The
trail itself is wide and wheelchair
accessible. Before it became a city
park, the area was a private wildlife park. Thus the name. || 2400
N. Gemini Road, 800-379-0065,
www.agstaffarizona.org
San Francisco
Peaks
The mountain range
that looms over
Flagstaff includes
Humphreys Peak,
the highest point in
Arizona, and its also
home to the states
only tundra region.
Depending on the
season, your photo
might include wildowers, storm clouds
or even a rainbow.
| SHANE MCDERMOTT
w w w.arizonahighways.com
19
WEEKEND
GETAWAYS
Sedona
EAT
Elote Caf
When it comes to Mexican food,
chef Jeff Smedstad knows whats
what. After traveling across
Mexico, eating in local markets
and culling authentic ingredients
and garnering mucho respect
for his efforts at Los Sombreros
in Scottsdale he opened Elote
Caf in 2008. Since then, its been
Sedonas go-to place for tortillas,
tamales and, of course, elote. The
re-roasted corn, inspired by the
cobs peddled by Mexican street
vendors, comes served with spicy
mayo, lime and cotija cheese.
And, its a primo antecedent to
a spate of other authentic menu
items, from carne asada to lamb
adobo. || 771 State Route 179, 928203-0105, www.elotecafe.com
HIKE
Woods Canyon Trail
This easy-to-follow, 8-mileround-trip trail begins just off
State Route 179, but within
minutes, it enters the Munds
DRIVE
ATTRACTION
Chapel of the Holy Cross
The Chapel of the Holy Cross
has been one of Sedonas most
beloved landmarks since 1956. The
concrete-and-glass structure is
dominated by a 90-foot cross and
was conceptualized by sculptor
Marguerite Brunswig Staude, who,
after years of land-purchasing and
permit acquisitions, nally hired
San Francisco architects Anshen &
Allen to design the Catholic chapel.
Today, people of all denominations and from around the globe
visit the chapel, which is operated
by the Roman Catholic Diocese
of Phoenix. || 780 Chapel Road,
928-282-4069, www.chapelofthe
holycross.com
KIDS
Rainbow Trout Farm
20
JANUARY 2015
Instead, youll pay a $1 admission fee, and youll pay (by total
length) for each trout you catch.
The farm encourages you to pack
in additional food to create a fulledged meal. Mac and cheese
optional. || 3500 State Route
89A, 928-282-5799, www.sedona
rainbowtroutfarm.com
HISTORY
Palatki Heritage Site
In the Hopi language, Palatki
translates to Red House. And
even though the Hopis have no
specic ties to the ruins, Palatki
and its sister site, Honanki, were
the largest Sinaguan cliff dwellings in the area between A.D. 1100
and A.D. 1300. In other words,
ages ago. Today, the ruins are
accessible via three trails: one
that takes you up to the dwellings, one that climbs to a view
of the dwellings and another
that leads to alcoves that shelter
pictographs made by the native
people who occupied the Verde
Valley. Groups of up to 10 people
are allowed access to the dwellings in 20-minute intervals, and
reservations are recommended.
Otherwise, you may have to
wait ages for access. || Red Rock
Ranger District, 928-282-3854
(reservations), www.fs.usda.gov/
coconino
SPLURGE
Omelets at Coffee
Pot Restaurant
There are 101 omelets on the
menu at Coffee Pot Restaurant.
One hundred. And one. Some
of them might sound a little
strange take the jelly, peanut
butter and banana option, for
example but if youre looking to
pack in some protein before you
dart around town, the Coffee Pot
is your best bet. Since the 1950s,
the family owned restaurant has
been a favorite among locals,
whove dubbed it the best over-
SLEEP
Garlands Oak Creek Lodge
With the possible exception of
El Tovar, which has the unfair
advantage of being perched on
the edge of the worlds Seventh
Natural Wonder, Garlands Oak
Creek Lodge is arguably the most
scenic place to spend a night in
Arizona. Lodge, hotel, B&B, campsite good luck nding accommodations with a better view.
Located in the heart of Oak Creek
Canyon, about 8 miles north of
Sedona, Garlands is surrounded
by millions of years of red-rock
geology, towering pines and
hearty oaks. Among other things,
the large cabins at the lodge
come with wood-burning replaces, and the small creekside
cabins feature porches overlooking Oak Creek. Other than maybe
a room perched on the edge of
the Grand Canyon, it doesnt get
any better than this. || 8067 State
Route 89A, 928-282-3343, www.
garlandslodge.com
BONUS
Sedona Bike & Bean
Weekend adventurers are known
for their dine-and-dash mentality
not in the juvenile-thievery connotation of the phrase, but in the
grab-a-bite-and-get-on-the-road
sense of it. Thats what makes
Sedona Bike & Bean so great.
There, you can rent a mountain
bike for cruising Sedonas countless trails and grab a latte for
the road at the stores nine-seat
coffee counter. Many bike tours,
including some that explore the
trails near Bell Rock just outside
the Bike & Beans windows
depart from the shop. || 75 Bell
Rock Plaza, 928-284-0210, www.
bike-bean.com
PHOTO OP
Red Rock Country
Sedonas sandstone formations are among the most
photographed rocks in the world, and they contrast
nicely with the surrounding green foliage. For the best
photos, have your camera ready around sunrise or
sunset. | GUY SCHMICKLE
w w w.arizonahighways.com
21
WEEKEND
GETAWAYS
Bisbee
EAT
Caf Roka
The historic Costello Building
opened in 1907, and thanks to its
pressure-red bricks, it withstood
a 1908 re that leveled much of
Bisbee. Since 1993, its housed
Caf Roka, which serves up chefowner Rod Kass unique takes on
modern American cuisine. Rokas
menu changes often, but regulars
favorites include lamb meatballs,
lobster ravioli and roasted duck.
If youre looking for something
really unique, try Kass lasagna, which includes portobello
mushrooms and artichokes. || 35
Main Street, 520-432-5153, www.
caferoka.com
HIKE
San Pedro Riparian
National Conservation Area
Bird watchers ock to this 57,000acre preserve, which features a
network of short, easy trails, including one that parallels the San
Pedro River. Its been designated
a Globally Important Bird Area,
and the Bureau of Land Management has documented more than
370 avian species there, including
green kingshers, Lucys warblers
and yellow-billed cuckoos.
|| Friends of the San Pedro River,
www.sanpedroriver.org; Bureau
of Land Management, 520-4396400, www.blm.gov/az
DRIVE
Geronimo Trail
Once a major migration corridor
for Apache Indians and Spanish
explorers, this route extends
80 miles from Douglas, Arizona,
to Animas, New Mexico. Today, it
offers scenery and solitude along
the U.S.-Mexico border. History
buffs will want to stop at the
San Bernardino National Historic
ATTRACTION
Mining & Historical Museum
Bisbee started out as a coppermining town, and this Smithsonian-affiliated museum celebrates
that heritage with Digging In,
an award-winning exhibit that
explores how copper-mining
contributed to the electrication of America in the late 1800s.
Youll also nd a research library
that includes 100 years of local
newspapers on microlm and
7,000 historical photographs.
|| 5 Copper Queen Plaza, 520-4327071, www.bisbeemuseum.org
KIDS
Queen Mine Tour
22
JANUARY 2015
HISTORY
SPLURGE
Ice Cream at
Bisbee Coffee Co.
PHOTO OP
The coffee shop usually has
eight ice-cream avors (including non-dairy options) available,
along with milkshakes, fudge and
other sweet treats. || 2 Copper
Queen Plaza, 520-432-7931, www.
bisbeecoffee.com
SLEEP
Jonquil Motel
A jonquil is a type of ower, but
the Jonquil got its name from its
founder, John Quill. He built the
motel in the 1930s, and he and his
family ran it until Bisbees copper
mines shut down in the 1970s.
BONUS
Copper Queen Hotel
Bisbee is famous for its alleged
ghostly residents, and three of
them purportedly reside at the
Copper Queen. The most famous
Chihuahua Hill
Known locally as
B Mountain (for
obvious reasons),
this 5,900-foot peak
overlooks Bisbee and
offers great views of
the town. A short,
easy trail to the top
begins at the end of
OK Street in downtown Bisbee.
| JILL RICHARDS
w w w.arizonahighways.com
23
w w w.arizonahighways.com
25
26
JANUARY 2015
w w w.arizonahighways.com
27
w w w.arizonahighways.com
29
ABOVE:
31
HORSESHOE
BEND:
This Colorado River
meander is known for
its blue-green water and
the colorful sandstone
buttes that surround it.
The overlook where
this photo was made
is 1,100 feet above the
river, and its accessible
via a 1.5-mile (roundtrip) hike that begins a
few miles south of Page
on U.S. Route 89.
32
JANUARY 2015
T H E G R E AT BE Y ON D
Almost 3 million people a year
visit Lake Powell. Its one of the
most popular attractions in the
Southwest, but its not the only
sight worth seeing. Just beyond
the lake are several natural
wonders, including Horseshoe
Bend, Buckskin Gulch and the
otherworldly Antelope Canyon.
TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY GARY LADD
w w w.arizonahighways.com
33
G L E N C A N Y O N B E L O W T H E D A M : A few miles upstream from Lees Ferry, redbud trees bloom in the canyon bed. Glen Canyon National Recreation Area is home to several
extremely rare plant species, including the Copper Canyon milkvetch and the kachina daisy.
JANUARY 2015
PA R I A
P L AT E A U :
The landscape at
Vermilion Cliffs
National Monument
includes pockets of
brain rock
weathered gray
sandstone named
for its cerebral
appearance.
w w w.arizonahighways.com
35
COLORADO
RIVER:
Four miles upstream
from Lees Ferry, a
blooming tamarisk
leans out over the
tranquil river. The
jagged Echo Peak
looms in the distance.
36
JANUARY 2015
S L I C K - R O C K W I L D E R N E S S : Erosion has
sculpted this intricate formation from a sandstone ridge.
struction of the dam. As the dam was rising from the riverbed,
Antelope Canyon was known to local residents as The Corkscrew and the Skinny Caves, perfect settings for picnics and
spooky adventures into the heart of Jurassic bedrock.
The outside world eventually caught wind of the canyons
beauty in the mid-1980s. Today, Antelope Canyon is a Navajo
tribal park hosting thousands of visitors per day.
Many other slot canyons hide below the surface nearby.
Theres another doozy about 25 miles west of Page in the heart
of what has become Vermilion Cliffs National Monument. Its
called Buckskin Gulch, a legendary slot-canyon corridor in
todays hiking world. But back in 1963, it was known to ranchers as The Dive, a deadly trap for cows desperate for water.
Buckskin Gulch sneaks along the edge of Coyote Buttes, an
area celebrated for its swirling sandstone shapes and surreal
colors, and a terrain so implausibly fanciful that it seems more
illusion than landscape.
The world-famous Wave resides in Coyote Buttes, and it
[Continued on page 41]
alone is a powerful hiker temptation.
w w w.arizonahighways.com
37
38
JANUARY 2015
w w w.arizonahighways.com
39
COLORADO
RIVER:
Rocks surround dry
grass at the Paria Rife
near Lees Ferry. A
rife is a part of a river
or stream where the
water is shallower and
more turbulent than
elsewhere on the
waterway.
40
JANUARY 2015
C O Y O T E B U T T E S : Alternating layers of red and tan sandstone catch the lateafternoon light at Coyote Buttes South, part of Vermilion Cliffs National Monument.
[Continued from page 37] The entire Coyote Buttes area, however,
is remarkable. It is, in fact, a place where the photographic possibilities are numerous enough to induce a kind of pictorial vertigo. Images of Coyote Buttes now routinely appear in fine-art
galleries, geology textbooks, advertisements, outdoor magazines and calendars worldwide.
Just north and east of Vermilion Cliffs National Monument
is Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, which was
designated a park in 1996. Although its not as well known as
some other reserves, it features the magnificent Escalante Canyon complex, arches, hoodoos and endless high plateaus, all of
which spurred the parks creation.
Only later was it realized that the monuments interior concealed an astonishing hoard of paleontological assets: bones
and trackways from the age of dinosaurs. A Bureau of Land
Management visitors center in Big Water, Utah, a few miles
west of Page, focuses on the parks paleontological wonders.
w w w.arizonahighways.com
41
JANUARY 2015
w w w.arizonahighways.com
43
The troops initial goal was to raise $1,000 for the project, but by the time the Scouts
reached the Grand Canyon in late July, people back home had pledged $4,500.
44
JANUARY 2015
while slogging across sand dunes around Lake Michigan. And when a long winter drove them indoors, they
hiked in a gym. Now they were about to do the real
thing: hike down the South Rim, up the North Rim,
down the North Rim and back up the South Rim.
Our total elevation gain and loss on this hike will
be greater than climbing Mount Everest, said Troop
65 Scoutmaster Rich Zollner. But Im constantly
reminding the boys that this is not a race its an
adventure.
For most Scout troops, a Grand Canyon rim-to-rimto-rim hike is ambitious enough. But Troop 65 set the
bar even higher. We didnt just want to take from the
Canyon, said Zollner. Part of what were doing with
this trip is giving back, and also, hopefully, improving
the reputation of Scouts in the park.
In addition to months of physical and mental
preparation for the expedition, the members of Troop
65 went from door to door in their suburban-Chicago
community to ask people to pledge money for every
mile the Scouts planned to hike in the Grand Canyon.
The funds will go toward replacing 33 picnic tables
at Indian Garden Campground that are splintering
and falling apart. The troops initial goal was to raise
$1,000 for the project, but by the time the Scouts
reached the Grand Canyon in late July, people back
home had pledged $4,500.
After a day of acclimatizing and preparing at Mather
Campground, the Scouts began their descent of the
South Kaibab Trail at 3 a.m., with the goal of reaching
Bright Angel Campground at the bottom of the Grand
Canyon by 9 a.m. Because the troop was hiking in July
and August, when temperatures in the Canyons inner
gorge can reach triple digits, the Scouts would stretch
the trans-Canyon journey across seven days, always
hitting the trail by 3 a.m. and breaking up the ambitious route into manageable stretches. The pre-dawn
starts left plenty of time each day for splashing in the
creek at camp, playing cards and taking well-deserved
afternoon naps. In addition to the cautious itinerary,
Troop 65 minimized problems on the trail by keeping
the weight of the Scouts backpacks under 18 pounds.
Each Scout carried only a sheet, a tarp, food and water.
While it was the first time most of the Scouts had
45
of colors, but beyond that, we dont know a lot about them there isnt much research on their sounds, social moves, courtship
flights or what any of this means. As our writer writes: They hover right in front of our face, but we hardly know their worlds.
AN E SSAY BY CHAR LE S B O WD EN
A calliope hummingbird
surveys its surroundings in
Springerville. Adult
calliopes are just 3.5 inches
long, making them the
smallest bird species found
in the United States.
BRUCE D. TAUBERT
OWARD EVENING DURING the hot breath of summer, the desert air
matches the body temperature and the line dissolves between your body
and the world around you. As a boy, Id walk the dog under a tree in the
corner of the park at twilight and hummingbirds would hover just over my
head. I knew nothing of their customs or various nations then. But my boys
eyes glimpsed an open door as the night came down and the promise of what
I could be and learn if I left the everyday world and spun up into the sky.
For a long time I seemed to lose that feeling, but now I want to find that
open door again. A rufous comes to the feeder, a blaze of rust and gold to my
eye. A year ago, one was banded a few miles from where I sit, and 18 days later
it was netted again 1,300 miles north in British Columbia. The bird is tiny, and
within its flash of color and that huge distance is the magic I glimpsed as a boy
and now want back.
Susan Wethington sits at the table on Harshaw Creek close by the Mexican border. She is a founder of the Hummingbird Monitoring Network (HMN). Arizona
hosts 14 or 15 species of hummingbirds, and increasingly a raft of guides and bedand-breakfast spots cater to those drawn to the birds. And yet not much is known
about them. The network (10 to 13 sites in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, plus 300 to
400 volunteers) sets out to find out what they are up to. Her husband, Lee, is busy
trapping, and Susan and an assistant examine and band them.
Susan was a computer-development engineer for IBM, then fell in love with hummingbirds, went back to school for a doctorate in ecology and evolutionary biology,
and is the center of the Hummingbird Monitoring Network. She cant quite say
what drove her to this decision. She is a person who has always taken life one step
at a time and then one day, she says, I knew I had to take a
different step. Maybe what moved her from IBM to this small
Editors Note: If youre a
watershed is captured in the motto of HMN: Protect the Joy.
longtime reader of Arizona
As I watch her I can feel the wonder of those moments under
Highways, youre familiar with
that tree in the park. The crack in the sky once again opens up
Charles Bowden. For decades,
for me.
his beautiful words have been
Its a little before 6 a.m. at the tail end of July, and she craappearing on the pages of our
dles a broad-billed male.
magazine. Sadly, Mr. Bowden
As hummingbirds go, the broad-billed is small 3 to 4
died unexpectedly on August
grams, less than an ounce. Its a border bird, poking up from its
30, 2014. Like so many others,
wintering ground in Mexico to breed into Arizona, New Mexwe were devastated by the
ico and the Big Bend area of Texas. We dont know much about
news. As a writer, teacher and
it there is not much research on its sounds, social moves,
friend, he leaves a void that
courtship flights or what any of this means. This is pretty
cannot be lled.
much our current knowledge of hummingbirds. They hover
right in front of our face, but we hardly know their worlds.
Susan holds the bird in her right hand, checks its weight and general condition
Does it have fat? Is it molting? and slips on a band. The bird is green with a splash
of blue at the throat, an orange bill with a dark tip, everything we find beautiful.
In front of Susan are 10 different band sizes on spikes in a rack made by Lee. There
is a separate rack of tiny pliers hes also made. Lees another retired IBM engineer.
Hes fashioned the net traps he springs to catch hummingbirds. And off to the side
of their house is a bread oven he fashioned because Susan loves to bake She still
owes me some cookies. But everything here comes in second to hummingbirds.
The broad-billed birds earn a kind of affection from her because after all the
weighing and measuring and banding, they remain very calm and will sit on an
open palm sometimes for minutes before they fly away in a flash. The observations
go into a computer database, and inside all these captures here and at the other
sites there is the promise of finally learning a little of what that broad-billed
knows. And what the other hummingbirds know.
This morning the traffic is mainly broad-billed, rufous, violet-crowned, Costas,
w w w.arizonahighways.com
47
48
JANUARY 2015
Two hummingbirds, a
black-chinned (top) and a
rufous, compete for nectar.
Hummingbirds are known to
ght for food and territory.
BRUCE D. TAUBERT
49
Francisco Zamora-Arroyo is
working to restore a section
of the Colorado River thats
been mostly dry for decades.
Delta Force
For millions of years, water
from the Colorado River
owed all the way to the Gulf
of California. But not anymore.
The last 90 miles are dry,
and thats where Francisco
Zamora-Arroyo is pouring
his energy. As director of the
Colorado River Delta Legacy
Program, hes ghting hard
to bring the river back.
BY NOAH AUSTIN
PHOTOGRAPH BY
BILL HATCHER
50
JANUARY 2015
BOUT 45 MILES SOUTHWEST OF YUMA, near the border of the Mexican states of Sonora and Baja California, is the Laguna Grande Restoration Area. Here, on a hot, humid mid-September afternoon,
Francisco Zamora-Arroyo climbs down into a meander of the once-mighty Colorado River.
Water pours into the meander from a large irrigation pipe. Wheat chaff burns
in the distance. Roadrunners skitter by, and a hawk circles overhead. Along the
channels banks, willows and cottonwoods that once had nearly disappeared
from the area have regrown naturally a key component of the goal that keeps
Zamora-Arroyo coming back to this oasis.
For millions of years, water from the Colorado nished its 1,450-mile journey
at the Gulf of California, but human intervention has changed that. All the rivers water has been allocated for irrigation and other uses, leaving the Colorado
dry for its nal 90 miles. The change has affected people, wildlife and vegetation
in the rivers delta. More than 90 percent of wetlands there have disappeared
because of a lack of river ow.
As director of the Colorado River Delta Legacy Program (CRDLP) at the Tucson-based Sonoran Institute, Zamora-Arroyo is working to bring the river back
to a place that hasnt seen it in a long time.
bout twice a month, Zamora-Arroyo commutes from Tucson to the Laguna Grande site and the Sonoran Institutes
Mexicali office. Within a few minutes of his arrival, its easy to
see why frequent visits are necessary: There always are decisions
to make and information to gather.
Workers scoop mud from irrigation trenches and chop down
invasive salt cedars while Zamora-Arroyo and his staff discuss
plans. The conversation, in Spanish but peppered with English
phrases like overhead costs, centers on building a small reservoir to irrigate some of the trees. September is a difficult month
for irrigation, he says. The area is so big now that we need
more certainty about water.
The pulse ows effects are still being studied, but in the
ows nal week, Colorado River water reached the Gulf of California for the rst time since the late 1990s. During the event,
people in the delta saw the once-mighty Colorado ow. Some
of them were seeing it for the rst time. Zamora-Arroyo visited with his 10-year-old son, hoping, as he did with his now-21year-old daughter, to impart the same connection to nature that
Zamora-Arroyos father instilled. It worked for me, he says.
Hopefully, it will work for him.
Zamora-Arroyos connection to the Colorado came in 1998,
when above-average runoff allowed the release of water into
the delta from upstream dams. He and two friends decided to
traverse a stretch of the newly owing river, much like a journey Aldo Leopold described in A Sand County Almanac. ZamoraArroyo and his friends, though, made the trip in a cheap
inatable boat with a motor that didnt really work, and they
got lost in the weeds and had to spend a night on the river.
Zamora-Arroyo counts the episode among his near-death
experiences, but he cherishes it. He got to see the river owing
and hear the birds that ocked to it, just as they had for millions
of years. That picture is always in my mind, he says. And as the
Laguna Grande site has begun to match that picture, its renewed
Zamora-Arroyos commitment to his work.
It feels good to say, Look what we have done, he says. It
feels good to deliver.
To learn more about the Sonoran Institute and the Colorado River Delta Legacy
Program, call 520-290-0828 or visit www.sonoraninstitute.org.
w w w.arizonahighways.com
51
scenic drive
Saguaro National
Park East
52
JANUARY 2015
SCENIC
ADDITIONAL READING:
For more scenic drives, order a
copy of our newest book, Scenic
Drives, which features 40 of the
states most beautiful back roads.
To order a copy, visit www.shop
arizonahighways.com/books.
DRIVES
40
of Arizonas
Best Back
Roads
tour guide
Tanque Verde
Ta n q u e
Ve r d e C r e e k
N
O
star t he re
Pa
nt
Visitors
Center
Houghton Rd.
Mica View
Picnic Area
Freeman Rd.
Broadway Blvd.
TA
I N
S
S A G U A R O
N AT I O N A L PA R K
Harrison Rd.
To Downtown
Tucson
Kolb Rd.
Speedway Blvd.
Cactus Forest
Drive
Javelina
Picnic Area
an
o
as
W
KEVIN KIBSEY
To I-10
or www.nps.gov/sagu
Travelers in Arizona can visit www.az511.gov or dial
511 to get information on road closures, construction,
delays, weather and more.
w w w.arizonahighways.com
53
Hells Hole
Trail
If your New Years resolution was to push yourself to the extreme in 2015, this
trail is a good place to start. Its one of the states most challenging trails, but
the payoff is out of this world. BY ROBERT STIEVE | PHOTOGRAPHS BY JEFF SNYDER
54
JANUARY 2015
ADDITIONAL READING:
For more hikes, pick up a copy
of Arizona Highways Hiking
Guide, which features 52 of the
states best trails one for each
weekend of the year, sorted by
seasons. To order a copy, visit
www.shoparizonahighways.
com/books.
trail guide
Reynolds Creek
Campground
k
ee
tra i l h ead
DIFFICULTY: Strenuous
Hells Hole
Sa
lo
S A L O M E
W I L D E R N E S S
288
ve
188
Theodore
Roosevelt Lake
Saguaro
Lake
88
88
88
T O N T O
N A T I O N A L F O R E S T
KEVIN KIBSEY
lt
Apache
Lake
Canyon
Lake
Sa
LEAVE-NO-TRACE PRINCIPLES:
60
Apache
Junction
60
Claypool
Miami
Globe
To Phoenix
60
w w w.arizonahighways.com
55
where is this?
October 2014
Answer & Winner
NICK BEREZENKO
La Posada, Winslow.
Congratulations
to our winner, Dale
Ayers of Brandon,
Mississippi.
November 2014
Answer & Winner
KERRICK JAMES
RANDY PRENTICE
DeGrazia Gallery
in the Sun, Tucson.
Congratulations
to our winner, Ray
Emond of Tempe,
Arizona.
56
JANUARY 2015
SAVE
$12.99
12" x 9" Hardcover. Item #ABPH3. Was $39.99 now $27.00. Use code P5A5GB to take advantage of this offer.
Offer expires 1/31/15